Says this is the “right time” for such a consideration | There are ten in Maricopa County
Ruth Wicks
East side education advocate Ruth Wicks urged the Yavapai Community College District Governing Board at the call to the public to consider initiating a study to assess the efficacy of establishing an Administrative model of operation. An administrative model would have an east and west administrative college with a chancellor and each side of the County would have its own dean and develop its own annual budget. Wicks’ pointed out that there are ten administrative colleges in Maricopa County, commenting that the Board should not be “afraid” of considering such a model.
While not providing independence to the east side, the administrative model would be a middle ground in terms of developing an individual community college identity on that side of the County. It is hoped such a model would allow the east side of the County greater autonomy in creating post-secondary education goals for its residents.
Wicks pointed out that Yavapai County is huge with an area larger than at least six states of the United States (with few roads connecting the east and west sides). Moreover, a mountain range splits the County almost down the middle and makes accessibility by east-County residents to the main campus at Prescott very difficult, if at times not impossible.
Wicks said that there are about 80,000 residents living on the east side of the County with a significant portion of the population under the poverty line. “There is an increased need for face-to-face community college classes,” she said, because of the number of residents living at or below the poverty line on the east side of the County. There is also a need for flexibility in meeting the needs of our non-traditional students, she said.
She compared the cost of operating Mingus High School in Cottonwood with the almost $90 million operation of the Community College. According to her, Mingus High School in Cottonwood has 1,200 students, 135 employees with 65 of them being full-time faculty. The annual Mingus budget is a little over $9 million. It boasts a full array of high school classes plus fine arts, Career and Technical Education classes, bus services, fall, winter, and spring athletics.
Yavapai College has 11 full-time faculty at the Verde Campus and offers no transportation or athletic programs.
Ms. Wicks address to the Board follows on the video clip below.